Chapter 1 Part 3

Contrary to his words, the man’s expression showed no sign of regret. If anything, he seemed to be enjoying himself, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

There was no time to feel the discrepancy between his words and his expression. It was because his words—’The negotiations have collapsed’—suddenly brought her back to her senses.

“W-well then…”

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“You will die. Miserably and painfully at the hands of the Emperor.”

He replied casually, as if it didn’t matter whether Irina lived or died.

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Of course, his words were technically correct. The man and Irina had no connection, no acquaintance. So whether Irina died or not was not a matter for the man to care about.

Irina acknowledged this with her head but couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being too heartless.

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Even though they were strangers and didn’t know each other, how can he casually say things like, ‘You’re going to die,’ in front of someone whose life and death depended on it?

Irina’s gaze sharpened with resentment toward him, but he seemed unaffected, unconcerned by her sharp stare.

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“Also, the Lehman family will be destroyed by the Emperor’s hand.”

What…?

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Irina stared at him in amazement. His voice was calm, but the words coming out of his mouth were so shocking that she couldn’t accept them.

What did he mean that her family would be ruined by the Emperor? What was he talking about? She had decided to give up her life to protect her parents, so shouldn’t her family be safe?

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“You look surprised, as if you didn’t know.”

“What do you mean by that?”

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“You’re more naive than I thought, Irina.”

His tone was almost mocking.

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Irina didn’t even have time to feel offended by his tone. It was more important to understand the meaning behind his words.

“Are you saying my family will be destroyed? What does that mean? Tell me right now! What do you know? How do you know that? Who are you, exactly…?”

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“It doesn’t matter who I am.”

The man calmly corrected Irina, who was growing more agitated, and then tilted his chin slightly, looking down at her. A sudden, unbridgeable distance seemed to grow between them.

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Irina was curious about his true identity. However, the man showed no intention of answering her questions. He casually continued speaking as though her inquiries were of no importance.

“Do you think that greedy Emperor would go to all this trouble just to take your life?”

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“What do you mean by ‘all this trouble’…? What… no, wait.”

Irina, who was about to question the incomprehensible words, froze as a thought suddenly flashed in her mind. The man looked at her with a pitying expression, as if he was finally seeing that she had figured it out.

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Irina’s breath grew heavy. Anger, sadness, betrayal, pain, despair—all the negative emotions she could feel were swirling inside her.

It had been the Emperor from the start. That damn rumor—the one about how her father had been going around boasting that his daughter could make gold.

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The one who had spread that absurd rumor was none other than the Emperor himself.

Why had the Emperor gone to such lengths? The answer came quickly. It was because of the gold mine recently discovered in Irina’s estate.

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A gold mine containing enormous amounts of gold had been found in Baron Lehman’s estate not long ago. Even without boasting, the news that a gold mine had been discovered in Baron Lehman’s land quickly spread.

Despite the Lehman family’s relatively low status compared to other noble houses, the discovery of this gold mine made their fortune enormous. Their wealth soon rivaled that of the greatest noble families.

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Of course, no one in Irina’s family thought that way. It was just the opinions of others. But there was no time to correct those misconceptions.

And in truth, their opinions weren’t wrong. Changing people’s perceptions was a difficult task. As a result, Baron Lehman became one of the wealthiest men in the Asilin Empire.

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Then that d*mn rumor had spread. It was as if someone had intentionally leaked it at the perfect time.

She didn’t know at that time. She thought it was just a silly joke. But it wasn’t. It had all been planned from the beginning. And it had been the Emperor who had orchestrated it.

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Historically, when a noble family fell, it was the imperial family that benefitted the most. Because the imperial family would confiscate the properties of the fallen noble family.

That’s what the Emperor was aiming for. The fall of Baron Lehman and seize all their wealth. Or perhaps…

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“I will offer everything I can to His Majesty, and I will ask him again to protect your well-being.”

Her father’s words flashed through her mind. The Emperor had known. Even without confiscating the wealth, if the Lehman family was driven to extremities, they would eventually give up the gold mine themselves.

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Either way, the imperial family would gain the Lehman family’s fortune, and the one who benefitted from it would naturally be the Emperor.

Irina had believed that by sacrificing herself, she had protected her parents. But now she had to accept that she had been wrong.

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If the Emperor’s goal was the Lehman family’s wealth, then her death would not solve anything. The Emperor would find another way to take away her family’s wealth, and in the process, her parents’ safety could not be guaranteed.

The thought of dying a painful, torturous death terrified her, but knowing that she could do nothing to prevent her family’s tragic future was even more agonizing.

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“Irina, I can help you.”

A soft voice whispered in her ears. Irina raised her head and looked at the man.

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He wore a faint smile, as if he already knew what Irina would say, looking at her calmly and leisurely.

“Will you quietly die at the Emperor’s hands, knowing your family will be ruined?”

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At his question, Irina’s previously wavering blue eyes hardened. She could never allow that. She couldn’t let the Emperor control her fate any longer.

“Or… Will you accept my offer and find a way to save yourself and your family?”

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“…Alright.”

The answer was clear. Irina looked at him firmly and spoke.

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“That offer… I will accept it. Help me. In exchange, I will give you my child.”

“Alright, Irina.”

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The man’s response was as if he knew what Irina was going to say. He closed the distance between them once again.

The two were so close that their breaths mingled. Irina was startled, thinking he was about to kiss her.

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She looked at the man with wide eyes. In response, the man gently stroked Irina’s hair, as if finding her adorable.

Irina was embarrassed by the gesture. She seemed to have made unnecessary assumptions when he had no such intentions.

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As Irina, who was embarrassed, nervously rubbed the bridge of her nose, the man gazed at her with golden eyes.

“My name is Rumpel.”

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“Rumpel…”

Irina repeated the man’s name. It was strange. Her heart raced just from saying his name. It was as if he had cast some kind of spell on her.

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“I’ll help you. In return, Irina, you’ll give me your child. Okay?”

It was so simple to put it into words. Irina somehow held back the feeling that made her want to cry and nodded. Then, the man’s eyes folded as finely as a crescent moon.

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“Then we should make a contract. Open your mouth.”

“Why my mouth… Hmph!”

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Rumpel’s lips covered Irina’s. His moist tongue slid between her plump lips.

Kissing a man she had just met today was unimaginable for Irina. At this point, fear began to creep in.

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She had seen him turn straw into gold, but she wondered if there might have been some trick involved. Perhaps she was being played by him.

‘…But what else can I do?’

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Even if she distrusted Rumpel, there was nothing Irina could do now.

She was destined to die a miserable death at the hands of the emperor. What difference would it make if she was molested by another man and offered her lips before she died?

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But if he truly could turn all the straw here into gold, Irina could not only save her life but also have a chance to take revenge on the Emperor.

So it wasn’t that unfair to give him her lips. Irina made up her mind and closed her eyes.

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“Hmm, uh…”

Whether Rumpel knew Irina’s thoughts or not, his tongue moved more persistently. He pulled her tongue with strong pressure, as if to tear it out by the roots, and gently licked the tender flesh of her cheeks. He didn’t miss a single tooth or smooth gum.

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The long, intense kiss made Irina’s mind hazy. Not only that, but her body felt hot too.

It was somehow strange to simply call it just a physical reaction to a kiss. Although Irina was unfamiliar with men, she was not without basic knowledge.

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She had heard that kissing a man made one’s body tingle and feel hot.

But the sensation she was feeling now seemed to be a reaction that went beyond a simple kiss. It was as if a warm breeze was enveloping her entire body, and her left breast felt particularly hot.

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Feeling something strange, Irina instinctively tried to put her hand on her left breast, but Rumpel grabbed her hand. Startled by his sudden touch, Irina’s eyes widened.

Before her eyes was Rumpel’s beautiful face. As if knowing she would open her eyes, he gazed at her silently.

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His golden eyes contrasted sharply with his black hair, and they were truly beautiful. It felt unreal, as if this moment was all a lie.

Irina carefully examined Rumpel, who filled her gaze. His skin was pale white, his nose was high and sharp, accentuating his masculinity, and his physique was well-built.

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He seemed to be made up of all the beautiful things in the world. In fact…… she wondered if he was even human.

“Ugh!”

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Rumpel’s hand, which was holding Irina’s hand, went to Irina’s left breast. Startled, Irina reflexively bit his lower lip. It was an instinctive action.

“Ah, I, I’m sorry…”

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She had bitten so hard that drops of blood formed on Rumpel’s plump lips. Seeing his blood, Irina was flustered and didn’t know what to do.

To the point where she had even forgotten that all of this happened because Rumpel was trying to touch her breast.

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“I, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

Irina nervously glanced at Rumpel.

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But he seemed amused. He wiped the blood from his lips with his finger, then brought it to his mouth and licked it up.

“Blood… It’s been a while since I’ve seen it.”

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His words made no sense. Of course, it could be that it had been a long time since he had shed blood. However, she didn’t understand why he said those words with such an amused expression.

“Irina.”

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“Yes? Ah, ah! what… … !”

Rumpel stretched out his hand towards Irina’s chest. Panicked, Irina tried to push his hand away, but it was futile.

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Rumpel’s hand finally touched Irina’s left breast, startling her. Ignoring her reaction, Rumpel pulled down her clothes.

“It’s a token of the contract.”

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“…What, what is this…?”

Irina looked where Rumpel’s gaze was directed and saw a red spot on her upper left breast. It wasn’t there before, and Irina was confused.

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“If you break the contract, your heart will stop, Irina.”

His tone was gentle, but the words that came out of his mouth were truly shocking. Before Irina could protest, Rumpel smiled.

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“I’ll keep my end of the bargain, so you must keep yours, Irina.”

As soon as Rumpel finished speaking, the entire inside of the tower bathed in golden light, as if the sun had set.

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